It is common for vehicles to include a steering column that permits the adjustment of the height of a steering wheel and also allows the steering wheel to be tilted toward or away from a driver of a vehicle. Thus, these conventional steering columns telescope or otherwise allow elevation adjustment of the steering wheel and also typically pivot (or have a pivot section which pivots) to permit tilting of the steering wheel. Release mechanisms are typically incorporated in these devices which are then actuated to respectively permit height and tilt adjustment of the steering wheel.
In these prior constructions, it is common for a lever shift mechanism to be positioned in close juxtaposition relative to the steering wheel. In a conventional approach, however, the shift mechanism is at a fixed location. Consequently, as the elevation and tilt of the steering wheel is adjusted, the distance from the shift lever of the shift mechanism to the steering wheel changes because the shift lever remains stationary. This can result in the positioning of the shift lever relative to the steering wheel at an ergonomically inefficient location. Also, it is common for the shift lever or handle to move in a plane which is generally perpendicular to the plane of the steering wheel to accomplish shifting. Consequently, depending on the position of the steering wheel, the clearance between the shift lever and steering wheel can be relatively tight, making it more difficult to shift the lever. In addition, the location of the shift lever is typically positioned to provide a minimum clearance when the steering wheel is nearest to the shift lever. Consequently, when the steering wheel is farther away from the shift lever in other operating positions, a longer reach is required from the steering wheel to operate the shift lever. Also, the angle of the shift lever can result in mechanical disadvantages in operating the shift lever when the steering wheel is tilted and/or elevated to certain positions.
Therefore, a need exists for an improved shift mechanism and methods relating thereto.
In accordance with one embodiment, a vehicle shifter for actuating a shift cable of a vehicle to cause the shifting of a vehicle transmission is described. The vehicle in this embodiment is of a type having a steering wheel tilt head which allows tilting of the steering wheel at least in fore and aft directions about a tilt pivot axis. The tilt head broadly includes any type of mechanism, including a simple pivot structure, which allows tilting of the steering wheel. The tilt head is carried at an upper end portion of a steering column and is typically pivoted to the steering column so as to allow the steering wheel to tilt in fore and aft directions. In addition, the steering column may be adjustable in length to raise or lower the elevation of the tilt head relative to the floor of the vehicle and thereby to respectively raise or lower the steering wheel. Consequently, in a conventional manner the elevation and tilt position of the steering wheel may be adjusted as desired by a driver of the vehicle.
In this embodiment, a shift lever support is pivotally coupled to the tilt head and may pivot about a shift lever support pivot axis. The shift lever support pivot axis may be skewed relative to a steering wheel axis about which a steering wheel is rotated to steer the vehicle. More specifically, in one exemplary form, the shift lever support pivot axis is substantially perpendicular to the steering wheel axis.
A shift lever is carried by the shift lever support and movable relative to the shift lever support to a plurality of shift positions to cause shifting of the vehicle. Various gate structures, detent and detent receiving mechanisms, stop structures or other structures may be used to positively define various shift positions to which the shift lever may be shifted.
An elongated shift actuator, which in one form may be of an upright shift rod, has an upper portion coupled to the shift lever and a lower portion coupled to the shift cable such that movement of the shift lever from one shift position to another shift position moves the shift actuator and cable to shift the vehicle transmission. The shift actuator may be coupled to the cable in a variety of ways and typically utilizes a crank mechanism to deliver the shifting force to the cable upon movement, such as pivoting movement, of the shift lever to the various shift positions.
A shift actuator support is positioned below the shift lever support and coupled to the shift actuator so that, in this embodiment, the lower portion of the shift actuator (or the entire shift actuator) moves upwardly relative to the floor of the vehicle as the steering wheel is raised and the lower portion of the shift actuator moves downwardly relative to the floor of the vehicle as the steering wheel is lowered.
As another aspect of an embodiment, the steering column may include a first movable section which is raised to lengthen the steering column as the steering wheel is raised and lowered to shorten the steering column length as the steering wheel is lowered. The shift actuator support may be coupled to the first movable section of the steering column such that the shift actuator support moves with the first movable section. In addition, a lower portion of the shift actuator may be coupled to the shift actuator support so as to move with the movement of the shift actuator support.
In accordance with another embodiment, a multi-directional bearing structure, such as a spherical bearing, may be used to couple the shift actuator to the shift actuator support. In addition, at least one crank may be coupled to the shift cable and to the shift actuator. Movement of the shift lever from one shift position to another shift position in this example pivots the shift actuator and also pivots the at least one crank to move the shift cable to shift the vehicle transmission. The crank may be positioned above or below the spherical bearing and in one desirable embodiment is positioned below the spherical bearing.
In accordance with another embodiment, the shift actuator may be elongated with a lower portion slidably coupled to the shift actuator support so as to slide upwardly relative to the shift actuator support as the steering wheel is raised and downwardly relative to the shift actuator support as the steering wheel is lowered. In addition, as an option, at least one crank may be coupled to the shift cable and to the shift actuator such that the shift actuator is slidable upwardly and downwardly relative to the crank as the steering column is respectively raised and lowered. In this latter case, movement of the shift lever from one shift position to another shift position pivots the shift actuator and also pivots the at least one crank to move the shift cable to shift the vehicle transmission. As a further option, the shift actuator may comprise a rod having a longitudinal axis and a splined coupler at a lower portion of the rod. The splined coupler may comprise a plurality of splines having a length which extends in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rod. In addition, the crank may comprise a splined coupler receiver configured to slidably receive the splines of the splined coupler so as to permit upward and downward movement of the splined coupler and thereby the rod relative to the crank as the steering wheel is raised and lowered. In addition, the splined coupler receiver may engage the splined coupler to prevent relative rotation of the crank and the rod as the shift lever is pivoted.
In accordance with an embodiment, the vehicle shifter may comprise a projecting elongated cable support coupled to a movable section of the steering column and extending outwardly from the steering column. In this embodiment, the shift cable may be supported by the cable support at a location spaced from the crank. Inasmuch as the cable support is coupled to the movable section of the steering column in this embodiment, raising and lowering the steering column respectively raises and lowers the cable support. In one specific form, the elongated cable support may comprise an arm which is included in the shift actuator support either as an integral component thereof or as a separate element coupled thereto. In addition, the shift actuator may comprise a shift rod having a lower end portion coupled to the crank and a spherical bearing coupling a lower portion of the rod to the shift actuator support, for example, at a location above the crank. As a result, in this embodiment the rod is coupled to the first movable section of the steering column.
The shift actuator may be coupled to a first crank which is coupled, such as by a link member, to a second crank. The second crank may be coupled to the shift cable. The cranks are operable such that shifting of the shift lever from one shift position to another shift position pivots the shift actuator and the first and second cranks to move the shift cable and shift the vehicle transmission. The respective first and second cranks may be positioned at opposite sides of the steering column from one another. In addition, as an option, the shift actuator may be slidably coupled to the first crank so as to permit upward movement of the shift actuator relative to the first crank with the upward movement of the steering wheel and downward movement of the shift actuator relative to the first crank upon downward movement of the steering wheel.
As another approach, the shift actuator may be coupled to at least one crank which in turn is coupled to the shift cable such that movement of the shift lever pivots the shift actuator and the crank to in turn move the shift cable and shift the vehicle transmission. In this embodiment, a slide may be slidably positioned in a slide guide with the crank being coupled to the slide. In addition, the cable may also be coupled to the slide. In this construction, pivoting the crank slides the slide along the slide guide to thereby move the shift cable to shift the transmission. In addition, desirably the crank is positioned at one side of the steering column and at least a majority of the slide guide is positioned at the opposite side of the steering column from the crank.
The steering column may include a first movable section which is raised as the steering wheel is raised and lowered as the steering wheel is lowered. In addition, the shift actuator support may be coupled to the first movable section for upward and downward movement with the first movable section of the steering column. The slide guide may also be coupled to the first movable section such that the slide guide moves upwardly and downwardly with the movable section as the elevation of the steering wheel is adjusted.
The slide guide may be in the form of a slot defined by a bracket with the bracket comprising a portion of the shift actuator support although the bracket may be a separate component. Desirably, a link couples the crank to the slide and the slide comprises a slide pin. In addition, a first multi-directional bearing structure, such as a spherical bearing, may couple a lower portion of the shift actuator to the shift actuator support. In one desirable form, the crank is positioned above the first spherical bearing. A second multi-directional bearing structure such as a spherical bearing may couple the crank to the link and a third multi-directional bearing structure such as a spherical bearing may couple the link to the slide pin.
In one specific form, the shift actuator support comprises a bracket having a first leg section with an upper end portion coupled to the first movable section of the steering column, an outwardly projecting platform section for coupling to the shift actuator, a downwardly projecting cable engaging section for coupling to the cable at a location spaced from the slot, and an inwardly projecting slot defining section projecting in a direction away from the platform section. A major portion of the slot, and more desirably substantially the entire slot, may be positioned at the opposite side of the steering column from the crank. The shift actuator support may comprise a unitary one-piece monolithic bracket of a homogeneous material.
In accordance with one aspect of a method, a vehicle shift lever is pivoted relative to a vehicle steering wheel as the vehicle steering wheel is tilted. In addition, the elevation of the shift lever is raised with the raising of the elevation of the steering wheel and lowered with the lowering of the elevation of the steering wheel. The shift lever may be pivoted about an axis which is substantially perpendicular to the axis about which the steering wheel is rotated as the steering wheel is used to steer the vehicle. In addition, in accordance with an embodiment of the method, the act of pivoting the shift lever about a pivot axis may comprise pivoting the shift lever about a pivot axis which is located above the pivot axis about which the steering wheel is tilted.
The present invention is directed toward new and unobvious aspects and features of a vehicle shifter and vehicle shifting methods both alone and in combination with one another. It is not limited to situations wherein a steering column is both tiltable and/or carried by a steering column which may be adjusted in length to raise and lower the steering wheel, although this is the most desirable application. The new and unobvious aspects of the invention are set forth in the claims below.